Media disk storage container with printed paperboard sheets

ABSTRACT

A media disk storage container includes a lid and a base connected by a hinge, both the lid and the base having inner and outer surfaces for receiving separate sheets of printed paperboard. The outer surfaces of the lid and base are recessed to protect the paperboard sheets adhered thereto from being damaged by contact with other surfaces. The base includes a recessed spine for receiving an extension of the paperboard sheet which covers the outer surface of the base, so that identifying printed matter can be displayed on the spine. Likewise, the lid includes a recessed section along its upper sidewall for receiving an extension of the printed paperboard sheet which covers the outer surface of the lid.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/304,927, filed Sep.13, 1994, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/192,829,filed Feb. 7, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,827, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 07/904,342, filed Jun.22, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,242.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a media disk storage container and,more particularly, to a media disk storage container provided withprinted paperboard sheets forming the package surfaces. The container isparticularly suited for but not limited to the storage of compact audiodiscs, CD ROM's and other laser-readable discs.

2. Description of the Related Art

Traditionally, "jewel boxes" have been used as containers for compactdiscs and the like. As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,085, the standardjewel box comprises clear plastic base and lid panels which are hingedlyconnected along one side. Printed promotional material is inserted inthe lid and base panels that so that it is visible to the consumer. Theassembled jewel box is then wrapped in a plastic film.

A disadvantage of the traditional jewel box is that the sharpness andclarity of the graphics of the printed material, which play an importantrole in sale and advertising, are often degraded by having to view thegraphics through the plastic panels of the base and lid, due to thereflections created by light striking the plastic. Moreover, thematerial used to produce the jewel box is fragile, the plastic panelsand hinges being easily broken if the jewel box is dropped orcompressed.

A further disc storage container design, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.5,188,230, utilizes nonplastic folded paperboard panels. However, thepaperboard of this design is not highly durable because it is exposedalong the folded edges. Moreover, the design is complex to the consumer,as the paperboard must be manipulated in the plastic container afterpurchase. Another disadvantage of this design is that special machinerymust be used to assemble the container and load the CD and accompanyingpre-printed insert.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention to provides a media disk storage container whichovercomes the above-mentioned deficiencies.

The storage container of the present invention comprises a lid and abase hingedly connected together, the lid comprising a panel having aninner surface and an outer surface, and a sidewall extending at leastpartially around the periphery of the lid panel, the outer surface ofthe lid panel being recessed with respect to a peripheral edge of thelid sidewall. The base also comprises a panel having an inner and anouter surface, with a sidewall extending at least partially around theperiphery of the base panel, the outer surface of the base panel beingrecessed with respect to a peripheral edge of the base sidewall.

A first sheet of material is adhered to the recessed outer surface ofthe lid, a second sheet of material is adhered to the inner surface ofthe lid, a third sheet of material is adhered to the recessed outersurface of the base, and a fourth sheet of material is adhered to theinner surface of the base, the first, second, third and fourth sheets ofmaterial being separate from each other. The first, second, third andfourth sheets of material are preferably comprised of paperboard withprinted matter.

The base includes a recessed spine section along the hinged side and thethird sheet of material includes a portion which wraps around therecessed section and is adhered therein. Likewise, the lid preferablyincludes a recessed section along an upper side of the lid sidewall, andthe first sheet of material includes a corresponding top portion whichextends from the outer surface of the lid, wraps around the upper sideof the lid sidewall and is adhered within the recessed section.

The container further includes means located on the inner surface of thelid for securing a document to be included in the container, and theinner surface of the base is provided With a spindle for securing amedia disk within the container. The inner surface of the lid can alsooptionally be provided with a spindle so that a plurality of media diskscan be stored within the container.

The container can optionally be provided with concealed recesses foraccommodating an anti-theft device, preferably located on the basebetween the outer surface thereof and the third sheet of material.

The container preferably includes support means located on the innersurface of the base for preventing damage to the container when the lidand base are compressed together. The container also preferably includeslocking means for locking the base and lid together, the locking meanscomprising supports disposed on the inner surface of the base which matewith bosses disposed on the inner surface of the lid when the base andlid are closed together.

The container preferably includes grasping means located on both thefirst and second peripheral walls for enabling a user to grasp the baseand lid when opening or closing the container, the grasping meanscomprising notched surfaces on the sidewalls of the base and lid.

Advantageously, the container of the present invention provides a mediadisc container having graphics which are sharp and clear since theprinted paperboard sheets lie unobstructed from light reflections on theouter surfaces of the plastic lid and base panels. At the same time, thepresent invention is designed such that the printed paperboard sheetslie in recesses in the outer surfaces of the lid and base panels, suchthat they are not easily damaged from contact with other surfaces.Advantageously, the printed paperboard sheets are permanently adhered tothe base and lid panels, and require no manipulation by the user afterpurchase. Additionally, advantageously, the container of the presentinvention can be loaded with the disc and graphic materials withpreviously existing machinery used for loading conventional jewel boxes.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description of the invention which refers tothe accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container of the present inventionin an open condition.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the paperboard sheets of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the base of the container of the presentinvention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the base viewed from line IV--IV of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of the base viewed from line V--V of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a cross-section of the base taken along line VI--VI of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the base of the container of the presentinvention.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the base of the container.

FIG. 9 is a top view of the lid of the container of the presentinvention.

FIG. 10 is a cross-section of the lid of the container taken along lineX--X of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a cross-section of the lid along line XI--XI of FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 is a side view of the lid taken from line XII--XII of FIG. 9.

FIG. 13 is a side view of the lid taken from line XIII--XIII of FIG. 9.

FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the lid of the container.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the assembled container of the presentinvention.

FIG. 16 is a top view of the assembled lid and base of the containerwithout the paperboard sheets.

FIG. 17 is a front view of the assembled base and lid.

FIG. 18 is a rear view of the assembled base and lid.

FIG. 19 is a cross-section of the assembled base and lid taken alongline XIX--XIX of FIG. 16.

FIG. 20 is a cross-section taken along line X--X of FIG. 16.

FIG. 21 is a side view of the assembled base and lid taken from lineXXI--XXI of FIG. 16.

FIG. 22 is a side view of a cross-section of the assembled base and lidin a partially opened orientation.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the container ofthe present invention in an open condition.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the paperboard sheets of the embodimentof FIG. 23.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, the media disk storage container of the presentinvention comprises a lid 20 and a base 30. Lid 20 and base 30 areconnected together along one side by a hinge 35. Hinge 35 can beintegrally formed with the base 30 or formed separately and secured tothe base or lid.

The lid and base are preferably formed of molded plastic, for example,recycled polycarbonate, polystyrene or polypropylene. The size of thelid and base, and the thickness and material of the plastic, depend uponthe particular application.

Lid 20 is formed of a main panel 20a bounded by a sidewall 21 whichextends around the periphery of the lid. Lid panel 20a has an innersurface 26, shown in FIG. 1, which is disposed beneath the inner edge oflid sidewall 21. Latch bosses 27 are formed on inner surface 26. Lidpanel 22 also has an outer surface 24, shown in FIG. 10, which isrecessed with respect to the outer edge of lid sidewall 21.

In similar fashion to lid 20, base 30 also is formed of a main panel 30abounded by a sidewall 31 which extends around the periphery of the base.Base panel 30a has an inner surface 36, shown in FIG. 1, which isdisposed beneath the inner edge of base sidewall 31. Base panel 30a alsohas an outer surface 34, shown in FIG. 20, which is recessed withrespect to the outer edge of base sidewall 31.

As shown in FIG. 2, the container of the invention accepts, for example,four separate, die-cut paperboard sheets 40, 50, 60 and 70, which arelocated in and adhered to the inner surfaces 26, 36 and outer surfaces24, 34, respectively, of the lid and base panels 20a, 30a. Althoughsheets 40, 50, 60, 70 are preferably made of paperboard, they could alsobe made of vinyl or another appropriate material.

The recessed depths of outer surfaces 24, 34 of the lid and base panelsare slightly greater than the thickness of the paperboard sheets. Thus,when the container is assembled with the sheets adhered to both sides ofthe base and lid panels, the outer peripheral edges of sidewalls 21, 31of the base and lid advantageously protect the sheets on the outside ofthe container from being damaged due to contact with other surfaces,such as a table top or other containers when the same are stacked orstored next to each other.

As will be described further herein, the first sheet 40 of paperboard,which is adhered to the outer surface of lid 20, includes a top portion45 which extends from the first sheet 40. Likewise, the third paperboardsheet 60 includes a spine portion 64 which extends from one side ofsheet 60. The second paperboard sheet 50 includes half-moon shapedcut-outs 54 and the fourth sheet 70 includes an aperture 74 toaccommodate the spindle 32 on base 30. Spindle 32 supports the mediadisc and can be of any desired known configuration.

All four sheets of the paperboard preferably include printed graphicsthereon, illustrating for example, various recording artists, songlyrics, etc. The spine portion 64 of sheet 60 and the top portion 45 ofsheet 40 can also include graphics for readily identifying the packageduring storage. Moreover, since the outermost surfaces of the assembledpackage are made of paperboard, various finishing processes, such asstamping or embossing, can be employed.

FIG. 3 is a top view of base 30, which accommodates the disc 90, shownby dashed line. Inner surface 36 of base 30 is provided with upraisedsupport fins 37 in the vicinity of hinge 35. Base 30 also preferablyincludes support fins 38 located along the outer side thereof. Fins 37and 38 protect the container, and disc enclosed therein, when the lidand base are compressed together.

As described previously, sidewall 31 of base 30 extends peripherallyaround the base. Sidewall 31 includes the segments 31a, 31b and 31c asshown in FIG. 3. Sidewall segments 31a and 31b are inset from the edgeof the base, leaving rims 47 and 48. As previously described withrespect to FIGS. 1 and 20, the inner and outer edges of sidewall 31extend beyond the inner and outer surfaces 36 and 34 of the base panel30a to protect the paperboard sheets adhered to those surfaces.

FIG. 4 is a front view of base 30 taken from line IV--IV of FIG. 3.Sidewall segment 31c includes a notched surface 33 which helps the userto grip the base when opening and closing the container.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of base 30 as seen from line V--V of FIG. 3 alonghinge 35. The top of hinge 35 includes a grooved area 39 which is bothaesthetically pleasing to the consumer and functional as it aids ingripping the container.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 18, 19 and 22, base 30 includes a recessed spine44. The spine portion 64 of the third paperboard sheet 60 extends fromone side of the paperboard sheet, wraps around and is recessed withinspine 44.

Hinge 35 includes indents 43 on either side thereof, as well asapertures 42, as shown in FIG. 7, for accommodating pins 29 on lid 20shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 6 is a cross-section of base 30 taken along line VI--VI of FIG. 3.As shown in FIG. 6, the grooved area 39 of hinge 35 extendsapproximately half of the height of hinge 35 to provide extra rigidityto the structure. Moreover, sidewall 31 includes cut-out portions 41which accommodate tabs 22 located on the inner side of sidewall 21 (seeFIG. 9) when the lid and base are closed.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 7, base. 30 includes a U-shaped latch part46 which accommodates latch bosses 27 of lid 20, when the lid and baseare closed. As shown in FIG. 3, the U-shaped latch part 46 can beaccommodated in the support fins 38 or located independently as shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view of base 30. An anti-theft device 80 can belocated within a concealed recess 78 in base 30 in the vicinity of hinge35. The device 80 is designed to be covered by the third sheet 60 of thepaperboard when the same is adhered to the outer surface 34 of base 30.The anti-theft device 80 can be comprised of an electronic articlesurveillance tag (EAS tag) such as an electronic chip or magneticdevice, designed to be deactivated at the time of purchase.

Referring to FIGS. 9-14, sidewall 21 of lid 20 is formed of segments21a, 21b, 21c and 21d. When the base and lid are closed, lid sidewallsegments 21a and 21b mate with rims 47 and 48 of base 30, as shown inFIGS. 17, 20 and 21, and lid sidewall segment 21d mates with basesidewall segment 31c, to provide rigidity to the container structure.Lid sidewall segment 21c is angled to provide clearance around the wallof hinge 35 during opening and closing of the container, see FIG. 22.

Tabs 22 are mounted on the inner side of the lid sidewall segments 21aand 21b. A printed document, such as a lyric booklet, or other printedmaterial can be slid beneath tabs 22 to secure the document between thedisc and lid.

Lid sidewall segment 21a and 21b include extension 23, shown in FIGS. 9and 14, which are designed to cooperate with the spine of the base toform part of hinge 35. Sidewall extensions 23 include pins 29 which canbe slid through indents 43 in base 30 (see FIG. 5) and engaged inapertures 42 of hinge 35 (see FIG. 7).

FIG. 10 is a cross-section of lid 20 taken along line X--X of FIG. 9.Lid 20 includes cut-outs 25 in the vicinity of each of the tabs 22. Likesidewall 31 of base 30, sidewall 21 extends above the inner and outersurfaces of base panel 30a. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 14, the outersurface 24 of the lid includes a recessed area 24a with respect tosidewall 21.

The first sheet of paperboard 40 is adhered within recess 24a. Lid 20includes a recessed section 24b along sidewall segment 21a. The topportion 45 of sheet 40 is designed to be wrapped over sidewall segment21a and adhered within recessed section 24b, as shown in FIG. 12.

As shown in FIG. 11, at lid sidewall segment 21d, lid 20 includes a step21e. When the lid and base sections are closed, base sidewall segment31c fits flush with step 21e.

FIG. 12 is a side view of lid 20 taken from line XII--XII of FIG. 9.Both sides of lid 20, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, include a notchedsurface 28, which provides a gripping area for the user.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the assembled container. Paperboardsheet 40 is glued to the outer surface 24 of lid 20. Portion 45 of sheet40 wraps around part of lid sidewall segment 21b and is glued in recess24b.

FIGS. 23 and 24 illustrate another embodiment, wherein the package isformed with spindles 32 on the inner surfaces of both the lid and base.Thus, the package can accommodate more than a single disc. In thisembodiment, the second sheet 50, which is adhered to the inner surface26 of lid 20, includes a central aperture 75 to accommodate a secondspindle 32'.

Although the container of the present invention has been described forhousing a media disc, such as a compact disc, or CD ROM, the package canbe designed to accommodate other items such as computer or video games,audio or video cassettes, cosmetics, books or other products.

Although the present invention has been described in relation toparticular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modificationsand other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It ispreferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by thespecific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A media disk storage container, comprising:a lidcomprising a first panel having an inner surface and an outer surface,and a first sidewall extending at least partially around the peripheryof the first panel, the outer surface of the first panel being recessedwith respect to a peripheral edge of the first sidewall; a basecomprising a second panel having an inner and an outer surface, and asecond sidewall extending at least partially around the periphery of thesecond panel, the outer surface of the second panel being recessed withrespect to a peripheral edge of the second sidewall; means for hingedlyconnecting the lid and the base together; at least one sheet of materialadhered to the lid; and at least one sheet of material adhered to thebase.
 2. The container of claim 1, wherein the sheet of material adheredto the lid comprises a sheet of material adhered to the recessed outersurface of the lid.
 3. The container of claim 2, further comprising asheet of material adhered to the inner surface of the lid.
 4. Thecontainer of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the second panel isrecessed with respect to a peripheral edge of the second sidewall, andthe sheet of material adhered to the base comprises a sheet of materialadhered to the recessed outer surface of the base.
 5. The container ofclaim 4, further comprising a sheet of material adhered to the innersurface of the base.
 6. The container of claim 1, wherein the sheets ofmaterial adhered to the lid and the base are comprised of paperboard. 7.The container of claim 6, wherein the paperboard includes printedmatter.
 8. The container of claim 4, wherein the base includes arecessed spine, and the sheet of material adhered to the recessed outersurface of the base includes a portion which extends from the outersurface of the base, wraps around to the recessed spine and is adheredtherein.
 9. The container of claim 2, wherein the lid includes arecessed section along an upper side of the first sidewall, and thesheet of material adhered to the recessed outer surface of the lidincludes a corresponding top portion which extends from the outersurface of the lid, wraps around the upper side of the first sidewalland is adhered within the recessed section.
 10. The container of claim1, further comprising means located on the inner surface of the lid forsecuring a document to be included in the container.
 11. The containerof claim 1, further comprising a spindle located on the inner surface ofthe base for securing a media disk within the container.
 12. Thecontainer of claim 1, further comprising a first spindle located on theinner surface of the base and a second spindle located on the innersurface of the lid for securing a plurality of media disks within thecontainer.
 13. The container of claim 1, further comprising ananti-theft device concealed within the container.
 14. The container ofclaim 13, wherein the anti-theft device is located on the base betweenthe outer surface thereof and the sheet of material adhered to therecessed outer surface of the base.
 15. The container of claim 1,further comprising support means located on the inner surface of thebase for preventing damage to the container when the lid and base arecompressed together.
 16. The container of claim 1, further comprisinglocking means for locking the base and lid together.
 17. The containerof claim 16, wherein the locking means comprises supports disposed onthe inner surface of the base which mate with bosses disposed on theinner surface of the lid when the base and lid are closed together. 18.The container of claim 1, further comprising grasping means located onboth the first and second peripheral walls for enabling a user to graspthe base and lid when opening or closing the container.
 19. Thecontainer of claim 18, wherein the grasping means comprise notchedsurfaces on the first and second sidewalls.
 20. The container of claim1, further comprising means on the sidewalls of the lid and the basewhich mate when the container is closed to provide rigidity to thecontainer.